Lille defender Jose Fonte insists he will never forget his former club Southampton. The
39-year-old spent 288 appearances with the Saints between 2010 and 2017
. Arrived at St Mary’s for £1.2m and he play a key role in getting them promoted from League One to the Premier League in just two years
. He will never forget his days at Southampton.
“I was sold to Southampton. Which was in third version, because of financial problems,” he told the UFABET.
“It was a very difficult decision. Because I aim to play in the Premier League. But it turned out to be the right way. Because we have been promote two years in a row.
“I still love that club immensely. I will never forget That was the happiest moment. And full of success I was called up to the national team for the first time when I was turning 32.
With former Southampton defender José Fonte recently reaching 800 games in his career, he’s being celebrated by the Portuguese media this week.
Today, it’s newspaper O Jogo who feature a two-page interview with the 39-year-old, who currently plays for French side Lille.
Fonte spoke about many periods of his career, and recalled his move from Crystal Palace to Southampton. He claims that even though the decision wasn’t clear at first, he ended up being very happy with the Saints, who opened doors for him to go to the national team and even win a couple of international titles.